Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Surabaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $426 a month against $688 in Surabaya, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

21

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
33

Cost of Living Index in Surabaya
Learn more

Surabaya Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$426

/mo nomad

Surabaya

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$688

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Surabaya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in Surabaya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $426 in Dhaka versus $688 in Surabaya.

Dhaka $426
Surabaya $688

Estimated couple costs with rent: $735 in Dhaka versus $1,191 in Surabaya.

Dhaka $735
Surabaya $1,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,043 in Dhaka versus $1,695 in Surabaya.

Dhaka $1,043
Surabaya $1,695

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 38% less than in Surabaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 68% lower, Surabaya 49% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 ৳305

$1.69 Rp 30.2K

47.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$13.06 ৳1,604

$11.40 Rp 203.9K

14.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.83 ৳594

$3.05 Rp 54.6K

58.36%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 ৳606

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.10 ৳504

Cappuccino

$2.34 ৳287

$1.57 Rp 28.0K

49.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.38

$0.61 Rp 10.8K

-50.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.96

$0.28 Rp 5,026

-42.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.26 Rp 40.5K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 Rp 73.1K

Milk (1 liter)

$0.80 ৳98.1

$1.22 Rp 21.8K

-34.43%

White Bread (500g)

$0.65 ৳79.3

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

-48.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.71 ৳87.2

$0.84 Rp 15.0K

-15.48%

Eggs

$1.21 ৳149

$1.20 Rp 21.5K

0.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.67 ৳1,065

$7.66 Rp 136.9K

13.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.21 ৳395

$3.08 Rp 55.0K

4.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.70 ৳823

$7.85 Rp 140.3K

-14.65%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 ৳335

$2.09 Rp 37.4K

30.62%

Banana (1kg)

$0.88 ৳108

$1.30 Rp 23.2K

-32.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.37 ৳291

$1.82 Rp 32.6K

30.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.65 ৳79.5

$1.56 Rp 27.8K

-58.33%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.19

$1.30 Rp 23.3K

-81.54%

Onion (1kg)

$0.49 ৳60.6

$1.91 Rp 34.2K

-74.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.32 ৳38.87

$0.96 Rp 17.2K

-66.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.30 ৳37.30

$0.43 Rp 7,679

-30.23%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.07 ৳1,483

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.51 ৳677

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.66 ৳818

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.23 ৳396

$1.94 Rp 34.6K

66.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.67 Rp 441.1K

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 Rp 30.9K

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 Rp 53.5K

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.1

$0.32 Rp 5,669

31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.54 ৳2,769

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.48 Rp 8,519

147.92%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.40 ৳48.58

$0.43 Rp 7,679

-6.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 ৳411

$2.61 Rp 46.7K

28.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 ৳141

$0.83 Rp 14.8K

38.55%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.3K ৳3.7M

$25.0K Rp 446.0M

21.40%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$33.0K ৳4.1M

$32.8K Rp 585.5M

0.84%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$46.32 ৳5,690

$86.2 Rp 1.5M

-46.24%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.33 ৳531

$4.58 Rp 81.9K

-5.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.63 ৳1,306

$19.24 Rp 343.9K

-44.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$16.37 ৳2,011

$17.96 Rp 321.0K

-8.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.14 ৳1,982

$6.82 Rp 121.9K

136.66%

Cinema Ticket

$4.13 ৳508

$2.72 Rp 48.7K

51.84%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$90.7 ৳11.1K

$280 Rp 5.0M

-67.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,649 ৳325.4K

$9,557 Rp 170.8M

-72.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$16.48 ৳2,024

$70.0 Rp 1.3M

-76.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.00 ৳2,579

$39.31 Rp 702.6K

-46.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$50.3 ৳6,173

$81.4 Rp 1.5M

-38.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.46 ৳4,478

$73.4 Rp 1.3M

-50.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$152 ৳18.6K

$279 Rp 5.0M

-45.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$73.6 ৳9,041

$147 Rp 2.6M

-49.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$436 ৳53.5K

$1,247 Rp 22.3M

-65.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$214 ৳26.3K

$620 Rp 11.1M

-65.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,622 ৳199.2K

$2,155 Rp 38.5M

-24.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$761 ৳93.5K

$1,047 Rp 18.7M

-27.29%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$249 ৳30.6K

$273 Rp 4.9M

-8.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

7.5

39.73%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dhaka: October 4, 2026

Last update for Surabaya: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$123 28.5%

Surabaya

$209 30.9% 70.5% $86

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$74 17.1%

Surabaya

$147 21.7% 99.4% $73

Eating Out

Dhaka

$64 15%

Surabaya

$65 9.5% 0.4% $0.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$61 14.3%

Surabaya

$110 16.3% 79.5% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$56 13%

Surabaya

$119 17.6% 113% $63

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.4%

Surabaya

$3.9 * 0.6% 85.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$25 5.7%

Surabaya

$23 3.5% 5% $1.2

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $152 in Dhaka and $279 in Surabaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Surabaya pays 10% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $13.00 in Dhaka vs $11.00 in Surabaya. Groceries flip the comparison at $123 vs $209, with Dhaka cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇮🇩 Surabaya

🕒 Local time

16:08 4:08 PM

17:08 5:08 PM

1 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

2,765,487

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 123 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.14 USD). 1 EUR = 138 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.27 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,875 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,030 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.99 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Surabaya 4,220 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Surabaya

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dhaka vs Surabaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 61% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Surabaya. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $152 in Dhaka versus $279 in Surabaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $90.7 in Dhaka versus $280 in Surabaya. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Dhaka – a meal for two runs $13.00 versus $11.00 in Surabaya. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 61% less than in Surabaya. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.